Page 18 of Blazing Desires
"You asked for the trolley, I'm giving it to you." I shrug. "The boss has a message?"
I'm sure I hear him whisperdickunder his breath, but can't be sure, I just want this fucker gone before he can lay eyes on Davina. Rubbing his stomach again, he steps out of the way and pulls the trolley into the hall. I’m two seconds away from grabbing him by the throat when he finally opens his foul mouth.
“Mr. Elodie wants you in his office in thirty minutes. He’s got some leads on those trying to take him down. There’s footage to review, says you’re good at learning people’s techniques that might give us an advantage. Not sure I buy it.”
Noel breathes heavily through his nose as if it’s permanently got a blockage. A whistle forms with each breath in and I’ve never wanted to stuff my ears so badly—and I’ve been in torture simulators where they make your ears bleed with sound.
“Oh, and don’t worry about the preciousDavina.,she’ll be perfectly safe and sound. I’ll be right outside this door with my key should she need saving.”
His smile is too wide, a grin that's borderline maniacal and shows too many of his crooked, yellowing teeth. I don't like the thought of him with access to her or what he’s insinuating. I feel like he’s searching for an excuse to come in here. But before I can dwell on it and tell him to fuck all the way off, I hear the lock turning on the bathroom door.
Noel is either deaf or diabolically shit at his job because he doesn't notice. Not wanting to give him any more access to her than I have to, I slam the door in his face with a sharp ‘understood’ and lock it. The shock on his face before the door is fully closed is fucking priceless, and I'm still smiling when I turn into the room and see Davina walking out.
She stops in her tracks, staring at me. At my smile. And fuck if it doesn’t inflate my ego when she focuses all of her attention on me like that. I let her take it in before I tell her the news. It’s a lie I’m telling myself because it’s me who has the problem with this plan.
“Boss wants me to review some footage of those going after him in half an hour. It’ll only be an hour or so and then I’ll be back. You’ll be staying here.”
I don’t like this one bit—leaving her in here with him on the other side of the door makes my skin crawl. He’s a fucking pig and he’ll use any excuse to get to her. Confusion flitters over her features as a crease forms between her brows. I press my fingertips into my palms to distract myself from walking over there and using them to smooth it out.
“He wanted the food trolley back.”
My blunt sentences give me away, I’m sure of it, telling her exactly how much I hate this. She quickly scans the table before coming back to me. She nods, like I did to her earlier. It pisses me off—I want to hear her voice, and her keeping it from me shouldn’t make me feel like this.
Shit, did I make her feel like this when I did it to her earlier?
I take a step toward her, the need to comfort her so strong it's like she is my centre of gravity. That should freak me out, but I only see her. When she doesn't move, I close the distance between us before stopping in front of her. She doesn't tip her head back like I want her to.
So much for keeping my distance.
Her head dips to the floor instead and it fucking kills me that she isn't always comfortable meeting my eyes. Even though I shouldn't, my hand comes tips her head to face mine.
"Eyes on me, Mea Divina"
My voice is barely above a whisper. Her deep brown eyes take their time to meet mine. My fingertips tingle at the feel of her skin underneath them, but it's nothing in comparison to the current passing between our gazes, singeing me like lightning bolts, painful in the most delicious way.
My eyes dip to her full, pink lips. Her tongue darts out to wet them and a small groan escapes me. This is torture—I want to taste her so fucking badly, make her come undone for me whilst giving her my full attention. I inch forward, eyes flicking to hers to look for signs she wants me to stop. Nothing. Her eyes have fluttered closed, and it's my chance to capture these perfect lips with my own. To kiss her until she feels as though she’s among the stars.
Our faces are so close, I can feel her warm breath across my cheek, and now it’s me who’s undone. My lips lightly brush hers, which doesn’t even classify as a kiss. It makes me want to ravage her mouth even more, so I dip back in to do it properly this time. I ache to feel her lips against mine, but a shrill ring breaks through the moment and she retreats from my embrace.
“Fuck.”
I comb my fingers through my hair and pull my phone out, turning away from her. The stupid fucking thing stopped me from doing the one thing I’ve thought about every time I look ather. I turn back to Davina but she's not where she was a second ago. I scan the room, the instant panic I feel when my eyes don't immediately see her is something I need to unpack later. I can blame it on her being my responsibility, my charge, my ticket to freedom, but that's not true.
Not anymore.
"Me-, Davina."
I need to create some distance with her. Day one and I can't even get my shit together. I’m coming on too strong and whilst I can’t deny the chemistry between us, I don’t want to move so fast that I make her shut me out entirely.
I locate her tidying the blanket she was using on the sofa. Her back to me. I release a long breath of relief now that I have eyes on her again. I'm relieved to see she is unharmed and still here, as irrational as that is. Where in the fuck would she get to in thirty seconds of my back being to her?
“You won’t answer the door to anyone, not even if it’s me knocking. I’ll lock you in and make sure nobody else has access to you. Don’t open any windows. Better yet, don’t go near any windows. If anything happens you hide.”
I’m snapping. I’m frustrated at myself, and this fucked up situation I'm in. She deserves better than the cards she’s been dealt, and far better than me coming in and obliterating her world as she knows it. She dips her chin in agreement without saying a word, busying herself by tidying the cushions on the couch before sitting back on it and opening her book.
It's for the best.
Thirty minutes pass agonisingly slowly. All I can do is watch the time on my phone and replay the near-kiss we had, which only pisses me off more. When it’s time to go, I stand and walk over to the windows. The sun sets early at this time of year, and it’s already beginning to dip below the horizon.
